1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an optical fiber ferrule assembly and, more particularly, to a ferrule assembly suitable for providing alignment of an optical fiber to an active optical device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most optical communication arrangements require, at some point, the coupling of an optical fiber to an active optical device, such as a laser, LED or photodiode. In most applications, the end portion of the optical fiber is contained within a cylindrical housing, referred to as a "ferrule", to provide mechanical stability of the attachment.
An exemplary ferrule arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,124 issued to Y. Himono et al. on Sep. 22, 1987. The Himono et al. ferrule comprises a plastic sheath which is disposed over a first end section of an optical fiber, the sheath being crimped to the fiber to fix its position. A metal cylindrical member is then mated with a portion of the sheath and formed to extend over an exposed section of the fiber. The metal member may then be soldered to an optical package without affecting the fixation of the fiber within the plastic sheath member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,624 issued to T. Kakii et al. on Mar. 8, 1988 discloses an alternative arrangement wherein the ferrule comprises a resin composition, having carbon fiber as a filler material. The ferrule has a metal tube around its body that is embedded in its flange portion for added flexural rigidity.